1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly, to liquid removal technology that prevents the occurrence of cockling by effectively removing surplus liquid on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, inkjet recording apparatuses have come to be used widely as data output apparatuses for outputting images, documents, or the like. An inkjet recording apparatus ejects ink from nozzles by driving actuators corresponding to nozzles provided in a print head in accordance with data, and thereby forms an image, document, or the like, corresponding to the data, on a recording medium.
Inkjet recording apparatuses often use water-based inks in which coloring material and additives are mixed with a solvent of water, from the viewpoint of easy handling. Water-based ink permeates into the media, and if the amount of permeated ink exceeds a prescribed volume, then cockling (wrinkling) occurs on the media. If cockling of this kind occurs, then the media may make contact with a print head, thereby giving rise to a paper jam. Furthermore, if the ink ejection volume exceeds the volume of the permeation tolerance of the media, then ink remains on the surface of the media. If this residual ink makes contact with another media, then it may cause reverse-side marks or soiling of the images on other media. On the other hand, the treatment liquid is also a water-based liquid which has water as a solvent in a system which, in order to achieve compatibility with a wide range of media, separates the solvent from the coloring material of the ink (causing the coloring material to aggregate) by making a treatment liquid and ink react with each other on the surface of a medium (for example, coated paper, sheets for overhead projectors (OHP), or the like) into which ink (solvent) does not permeate, and thereby the coloring material is fixed on the surface of the media. In such a system, a large amount of solvent (ink solvent and treatment liquid solvent) may be present on the media. Consequently, in a system of this kind, it is necessary to remove the solvent (liquid) from the media, swiftly.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-179959 discloses the ink absorbing body, and the image forming apparatus and method using an ink absorbing body. The ink absorbing body includes a liquid solvent absorbing body and a separating member. The separating member covers the surface of the liquid solvent absorbing body at least partially, and has properties of allowing the ink solvent to pass and properties of releasing the coloring material of the ink. If ink is deposited on a sheet, then the liquid solvent absorbing body is moved in closed proximity to a portion of the sheet, via the separating member. Then, the liquid solvent is absorbed into the liquid solvent absorbing body via the separating member, in such a manner that the coloring material and the liquid solvent of the liquid ink on the sheet are mutually separated.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-86353 discloses the inkjet recording apparatus including a single halogen heater and a semi-cylindrical reflecting plate that covers the exterior of this heater. The halogen heater and the semi-cylindrical reflecting plate are disposed below the platen which opposes the recording head, in such a manner that pre-heating, main heating, and after-heating are carried out with respect to a recording medium conveyed on the platen, by means of the single heater.
However, in the ink absorbing body, the image forming apparatus, and the image forming method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-179959, though unnecessary solvent is gathered by a solvent absorbing member; there is no specific disclosure regarding the time until removal of the solution, and the relationship between solution removal and the type of medium. Thus, the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-179959 is not sufficient in terms of preventing cockling.
In the inkjet recording apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-86353, the amount of heat required to remove the solution increases when the amount of solution on the recording medium increases, and consequently, a large halogen heater is required. Moreover, there is no specific disclosure regarding the time until removal of solution, and the relationship between the type of the medium and the solution removal.